Beehive.



L E. DOUGLAS.

BEEHIVE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1908.

910,047. Patented Jan. 19, 1.909.

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APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1908.

9 1 0,047 Patented J an. 19, 1909.

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BEEHIVE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22. 1908.

910,047; Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

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JAMES E. DOUGLAS, OF PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA.

BEEHIVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

Application filed April 22, 1908. Serial No. 428,677.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. DOUGLAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Parkersburg, in the county of Wood, State of West Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beehives; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to bee hives, and it has for its object toprovide a construction wherein the bees may be confined in the bottom ofthe hive when the honey is to be removed from the supers.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel features ofconstruction of the various elements that contribute to the aboveresult.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure l is an end view showing a hive embodying the present invention,Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the hive with the cover removed, Fig. 3 isa horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a vertical sectionon line 1- 1 of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of one ofthe sections of the horizontal partition, Fig. 6 is a verticallongitudinal section through the hive, the edge of one of the partitionmembers being shown in elevation, Fig. 7 is a side elevation of thehive.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a hive comprising a bodyportion 1,

-of rectangular form in the present instance,

and which body portion includes a lower compartment 2 and an uppercompartment 3. The compartments are divided by a partition consisting oftwo sections 4, of equal dimensions, the ends of which sections restupon the cleats 2 secured against the inner faces of the ends of thehive body.

In the mutually adjacent longitudinal edges of the section eland mid-wayof their ends, are formed angular recesses 10 which cooperate to form anopening 11 through which access may be had to either compartment fromthe other, as will be readily understood.

The mutually adjacent ends of the partition members 4 are slotted orgrooved longitudinally as illustrated, and in these grooves, is engageda slide 11 which passes through a registering opening 12 in the rear end13 of the body of the hive. The slide is provided with a handle letthrough the medium of which it may be manipulated to close or open theopening 11. It will of course be understood that the engagement of theslide 11 in the grooves, serves to prevent tilting of the members a sothat a more or less rigid structure results.

Through the front wall of the body of the hive at the bottom thereofthere is formed the usual opening 9 for ingress and e 'ress of the bees,the bottom 7 of the hive body projecting slightly beyond the forward endof the hive in the usual manner to form a lighting board.

A second opening 12 is formed through the front wall of the hive body,but above the horizontal partition above referred to, this openingforming a means of egress for the bees from the upper compartment 3 whenthe slide 11 is in closed position for the purpose hereinafterexplained.

Upon the front of the body of the hive, there is secured a housing 13,the upper end of which is closed and which extends over the opening 12from a point above said opening to the level of .the upper edge of theopening 9, as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The object of thishousing is to direct the bees from the opening 12 downwardly to thelighting board, and at the same time to permit the sound of the bees onthe lighting board to travel up to said opening 12 and thus attract suchbees as may be in the compartment 3 when the latter is to be emptied ofthe bees as hereinafter explained.

In order that the opening 12 be closed under normal conditions, a slide1a is provided which works between the housing 13 and the front end ofthe hive body, said housing being slightly offset in parts for thispurpose. Slide 14 is provided wit-h a handle 15 at one end by means ofwhich it may be manipulated to move its opening 16 into or out ofregistration with the opening 12. At the opposite end of the slide latis an ear 17 which by engagement with the housing 13 limits the outwardmovement of the slide 14 and thus prevents total disengagement thereof.

In the use of the hive, when it is desired to remove the honey from theupper compartment 3, it is of course desirable t9 exclude the beestherefrom and for this purpose the slide 11 is moved into position toclose the opening 11 as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings,while the slide 14: is shifted to bring its opening 16 into registrationwith the opening 12 so that those formed atthe proper time well known tothose skilled in the art, and that to prevent egress of the bees throughthe opening 9, a stick or other suitable closure may be placed upon thelighting board 8 and wedged between it and the housing 13 so as to holdit in position.

After the operation of removing the honey is at an'end, the slide 11 isdrawn outwardly into its previous position to open the opening 11, thenew frames and cover having been previously put into place.

From the above description it will be understood that there isaccomplished everything in this construction that is sought, it beingfurther understood that modifications may be made and any suitablematerial and proportions may be used for the various parts. Further itwill be understood that 7 Witnesses tioned opening, a housing open atits lower end extending from said upper opening and terminating at theupper edge of sa1d lower opening, a slide llBlClWltillIl sa1d housmg tocover said upper opening, cleats within said I housing, two partitionmembers held horizontally upon said cleats to divide said hive into anupper and a lower compartment, said upper opening leading into saidupper and said loweropening into said lower compartment, each of sa1dpartition members having a recess to form a central opening within saidpartition the mutually-adjacent longitudinal edges of said partitionmembers being slotted, and a slide within said slotted members extendingthrough said housing, to close said central opening all arranged asdisclosed.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES E. DOUGLAS.

GERTRUDE BnoRN, ELIZABETH LEVEN.

